Boating etiquette

[nicknorman]

3 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

What if you are single-handing uphill and your bow fender gets caught in the gate, and the person who'd whacked up the paddles just wandered off?

 

Yes it happened to me and I was at the helm. I hooted the hooter, no response. My weak link in the fender chain eventually broke but it was a really scary moment and the boat was fine, but since then I've always got off the boat in locks.

 

Obviously it depends on the length of the boat, but for your standard 57’ish boat it is better not to ride the top gate if you are staying on the boat. You demonstrate this point well!

[MtB]

5 minutes ago, nicknorman said:

Obviously it depends on the length of the boat, but for your standard 57’ish boat it is better not to ride the top gate if you are staying on the boat. You demonstrate this point well!

 

My bote at the time was 68ft.

 

In fact it probably still is. 

[Tonka]

3 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

My bote at the time was 68ft.

 

In fact it probably still is. 

Would a tyre fitted inside out over the bow fender prevented this from happening 

[matty40s]

1 minute ago, Tonka said:

Would a tyre fitted inside out over the bow fender prevented this from happening 

Have you ever tried to turn a tyre inside out single handing??

[Tonka]

Just now, matty40s said:

Have you ever tried to turn a tyre inside out single handing??

The tyre is cut to size and then fitted over the rope fender. I can send you the instructions on how to do it if you want

[MtB]

Just now, matty40s said:

Have you ever tried to turn a tyre inside out single handing??

 

I do it all the time with one hand. 

 

 

[rusty69]

5 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

I do it all the time with one hand. 

 

 

TMI. 

[Hudds Lad]

8 minutes ago, MtB said:

 

I do it all the time with one hand. 

 

 

What do you do with the other hand?  

[MtB]

1 minute ago, Hudds Lad said:

What do you do with the other hand?  

 

Turn tyres inside out, obviously! 

[Hudds Lad]

1 minute ago, MtB said:

 

Turn tyres inside out, obviously! 

So that’s both hands turning tyres inside out, which is not one hand m’lud, i knew you didn’t have the wrists for it  

[MtB]

4 minutes ago, Hudds Lad said:

So that’s both hands turning tyres inside out, which is not one hand m’lud, i knew you didn’t have the wrists for it  

 

Can you guess what I use to steer the boat? 

 

[Hudds Lad]

1 minute ago, MtB said:

 

Can you guess what I use to steer the boat? 

 

The tiller?

[nicknorman]

Anyway, now that I’ve enjoyed my rant, just to return to my actual beef and deal with all the distractions.

 

1/ if the steerer intends to stay on the boat, after the gates have closed one can reasonably expect the paddles to be opened. No need for any gesticulatory thumbs up or whatever. If you are not ready, you are incompetent - unless there is some exceptional circumstance

 

2/ If one is single handing and prefers to get off the boat, then this will be apparent from body language and should be respected.

 

3/ If you are single handing and stay on the boat and someone else operates the paddles, it is reasonable to expect them to monitor things until everything is stabilised.

 

There, are we all happy now? My point was really only in relation to 1/.

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

👍

[ditchcrawler]

2 hours ago, PCSB said:

I pretty much do what you do too, don't understand the need of some to clearly speed up and try beat you to the bridge ... could be fun if we were to meet at a bridge, I can see it now - after, no after you, no I insist ...

The number of times I have been there. See a boat coming who is closer so pull off the line and stop, only for them to then stop and wave me through

45 minutes ago, nicknorman said:

 3/ If you are single handing and stay on the boat and someone else operates the paddles, it is reasonable to expect them to monitor things until everything is stabilised.

 

There, are we all happy now? My point was really only in relation to 1/.

You mean not sit on a chair reading the paper facing away from the lock?

[nicknorman]

2 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

The number of times I have been there. See a boat coming who is closer so pull off the line and stop, only for them to then stop and wave me through

You mean not sit on a chair reading the paper facing away from the lock?

Yes.

[Rob-M]

5 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

You mean not sit on a chair reading the paper facing away from the lock?

Or wonder off to the tea shed to put the kettle on.

[ditchcrawler]

21 hours ago, NB Alnwick said:

I sometimes wonder how some boat owners learn their boating skills. I remember that we did a lot of research before we started boating including taking the RYA's 'Inland Waterways Helmsman Course' and spending a time learning from experienced boaters. These forums were also full of advice about best practice, especially to us in those early days.

 

 

This from Facebook

"Looking for some friendly advice please...our new boat will be put in the water at Liverpool marina, as brand new boaters do you think we are going to be able to take it back to scarisbrick marina without any help through all the locks, tunnels and swing bridges or should we at least get someone to travel with us who is more experienced? TIAW"

1 hour ago, Tonka said:

The tyre is cut to size and then fitted over the rope fender. I can send you the instructions on how to do it if you want

Where do you find them that are not full of sharp wire ends

[Tacet]

2 hours ago, David Mack said:

But I once had someone close a gate in my face as they left a lock. When I asked why, they acknowledged that they had seen me, but said they had been told they must close all gates on leaving the lock.

It's not uncommon to see a sign stating that a door must be kept closed at all times; seems a waste of a door to me.

 

And as for "Dogs must be carried on the escalator" .....

[Tonka]

4 minutes ago, ditchcrawler said:

 

Where do you find them that are not full of sharp wire ends

I haven't as yet , but I have cut through the steel braid with a jigsaw

[cuthound]

17 hours ago, Hudds Lad said:

Nope, just a lot of the M62 at peak times

 

You must be doing something wrong if you keep meeting traffic coming in the opposite direction on the M62... 🤣

[Hudds Lad]

4 minutes ago, cuthound said:

 

You must be doing something wrong if you keep meeting traffic coming in the opposite direction on the M62... 🤣

You’d be surprised how many times driving up the long slip road at J27 i met cars erratically reversing back down it, takes a second or two to realise they’re travelling in a direction they shouldn’t be.

[lampini]

22 hours ago, MoominPapa said:

There are an increasing number of angry people everywhere in the UK. I've been noticing it for a while but it's more obvious when you go elsewhere and then come back. If they were all angry about the same things that could be a positive, but unfortunately they're mostly angry with each other.

 

MP.

The OH and I were discussing whether folks have got angrier or if he just notices more since the pandemic. Being a fact-driven curious soul, I googled it!

Turns out that people do research this stuff as it pertains to abuse of call centre staff.. seems instances of serious abuse have definitely risen - bus drivers say so too.. 

The OH has to do the occasional foray into customer service for his job, some folks really do phone up just to berate a stranger over the phone 😂

[Mike Todd]

15 hours ago, DShK said:

 Fair enough. Of course I'm not de-valuing someone's boat just because they don't live on it. But I would bet there is less to lose on a holiday boat. As someone who has had a major house fire in the past, and lost pets and many treasured memories to it, it's not a great time. My brother suffered from (undiagnosed and then later clinically diagnosed) PTSD from that for a long time. Mostly I am less worried about my "stuff" on the boat (most can always be replaced). But more worried about my dog. He's not a particularly physically capable animal....

Are you suggesting that holidaymakers are less important than liveaboards? All humans, you know!

14 hours ago, David Mack said:

But I once had someone close a gate in my face as they left a lock. When I asked why, they acknowledged that they had seen me, but said they had been told they must close all gates on leaving the lock.

Hire company handovers often over-simplify things to compress the talk into the shortest possible ti9me (everyone wants to move on) but do create misunderstandings. My favourite one is meeting people who lift bottom gate paddles a bit at a time, or just one, 'cos that was what the boatyard told us.

 

The last one I met, just a couple of weeks ago, then had a short lecture on why the instruction had been given, and why it applies to top gates. The problem was that the boatyard had not explained why, only telling them, 'do this'.

 

Yes, there are two schools of thought on training - in my prejudiced eye, the British and the American ways! In the former case the emphasis is on understanding the principles, leaving you to work out how to apply them later, and the US style which aims to allow anyone to do anything (safely)- a derivative of the principle that Anyone Can Become President (and usually . . . !) This can often be seen in the differences between institutional styles, such as in the military.

14 hours ago, nicknorman said:

Obviously it depends on the length of the boat, but for your standard 57’ish boat it is better not to ride the top gate if you are staying on the boat. You demonstrate this point well!

No, it means that you did not 'read' the gate properly - some gates can be ridden safely others not at all.

14 hours ago, Tonka said:

Would a tyre fitted inside out over the bow fender prevented this from happening 

Not necessarily - depends on the specific geometries of both gate and boat.

[NB Alnwick]

On 12/07/2023 at 21:07, nicknorman said:

Anyway, now that I’ve enjoyed my rant, just to return to my actual beef and deal with all the distractions.

 

1/ if the steerer intends to stay on the boat, after the gates have closed one can reasonably expect the paddles to be opened. No need for any gesticulatory thumbs up or whatever. If you are not ready, you are incompetent - unless there is some exceptional circumstance

 

2/ If one is single handing and prefers to get off the boat, then this will be apparent from body language and should be respected.

 

3/ If you are single handing and stay on the boat and someone else operates the paddles, it is reasonable to expect them to monitor things until everything is stabilised.

 

There, are we all happy now? My point was really only in relation to 1/.

 

I am generally in agreement with the above, however this 'thumbs-up' signal is relatively new to me - largely because I am very rarely on the boat when locking up or down. Jane tells me, that when she is on the tiller, some people wait for a signal before operating the paddles and I guess that is OK. That said my own practise is to just get on with what needs to be done as soon as the boat is safely in the right place.

 

When boating single handed I never stay on the boat in locks preferring to get off and operate the locks myself but assistance from other boaters or volunteers is always most gratefully appreciated.

 

My original gripe was about the pointing hand signal that, at first, I thought might be an indication that the approaching boat intended to turn left or tie-up on the left. On our last trip I experienced it several times with the steerer of the approaching boat behaving like some sort of umpire. My mother always taught me that it was rude to point and I do think that this pointing gesture is unnecessary and extremely rude.